Chiltern Film Society - April 2020

[This article was unpublished -

due to the Coronavirus outbreak, a replacement article was written for April 2020]

Films ahoy!

Some weeks ago, CFS Members were asked to vote which film they wished to see from a short list of six. Most votes went for Bait.

This is a British film from last year directed by Mark Jenkin and made in and around Charlestown and West Penwith in Cornwall. It was shot using a vintage hand-cranked Bolex camera, using 16mm monochrome film that he hand processed. As there was no sound - it all had to be recreated later during the edit.

Mark Kermode, writing in The Observer, said this film is a 'genuine modern masterpiece’. He later named Bait his favourite film of both the year and the decade!

It’s about the struggles of traditional fishermen in the modern world. You won’t need to bring anything: nets, wellies, souwesters. It’ll be dry and warm in the theatre… We’re showing it at The Elgiva on Wednesday 22nd April.

Before this film, though, on Wednesday 8th April at The Elgiva, we are presenting what we believe to be our first Paraguayan film: The Heiresses (Los Heraderas).

Director Marcelo Martinessi is riding the wave of a new industry in a small country which only began to make itself noticed in the last twenty or so years. It wasn’t until 2015 that Paraguay submitted its first entry for consideration to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film - for the documentary Cloudy Times.

The Heiresses was Paraguay’s entry for the 91st Academy Awards, but, sadly, did not make it onto the shortlist - even though it has won many awards at other international film festivals.

With British fisherman and Paraguayan heiresses, April has it all (who knew I’d ever write that sentence!)...

Whatever you do this month, enjoy your films!

Paul Vates – CFS Chairman.